IMPORTANT NOTICE: COVID-19 restrictions from October 22

Update from the IPO: All substantive protection interviews are cancelled from Thursday 22 October 2020 until further notice.

“Please find below a copy of notice in relation to current COVID 19 restrictions which will be posted to our website today.

Thanking you

Maria Lombard
Customer Service Centre”

IMPORTANT NOTICE: COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS

In light of the ongoing extraordinary circumstances of the Covid-19 public health emergency and the announcement made by the Taoiseach on 19 October 2020, the International Protection Office (IPO) wishes to advise that the following arrangements will apply:

· Opening Hours: With effect from Thursday 22 October 2020, Reception
at the International Protection Office, Timberlay House, 79-83 Lower
Mount Street, Dublin 2 will be open between 11:00 to 13:00 Monday to
Friday to receive new protection applications only.

· Protection Interviews: All substantive protection interviews are
cancelled from Thursday 22 October 2020 until further notice. The
IPO will be in contact in due course with new interview dates.

· IPO2 Questionnaires: Applicants with outstanding IPO 2
questionnaires are asked to complete and return the questionnaire as
soon as possible please. In light of the current circumstances, the
IPO will accept electronically completed questionnaires from
applicants once they are signed and submitted in hard copy.

· Temporary Residence Certificates (TRC): Information on TRC renewals
can be viewed here.

The International Protection Office continues to deal with correspondence received but, due to ongoing public health measures, may not be in a position to respond within normal timeframes.

Further updates will be provided in due course.

20 October 2020

FAQ’s

We are a front line refugee support group mainly working on the Lissywollen Direct Provision site in Athlone. Our focus is on providing information and help to the 300 (on average) residents living there.

We also work on the Temple Direct Provision site in Horseleap, Moate.

Everyone in the DP sites in Athlone and Temple is what is described as a ‘Convention’ refugee. People who have arrived in Ireland under a United Nations resettlement program are known as ‘Programme’ refugees.

Convention refugees are people who have made their own way to Ireland and have applied for recognition of refugee status when they arrive.

Various official and unofficial routes and methods are used to travel to Ireland. These change continually, depending on weather conditions and enforcement levels at crossings.

On arrival people are normally housed for a few weeks in Baleskin, near Dublin airport. They are then dispersed to various direct provision centres around the country.

People can get protection if they meet the conditions set out in The United Nations Convention on Protection of Refugees.

See Definition of a Refugee

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